ABSTRACT
With the triumph of the New Democrats, the so-called “left” of the Democratic Party either remained in the party as a marginalized group or sought other political affiliations, such as with Ralph Nader’s organization; the Green Party; the Rainbow Coalition; and/or the National Organization for Women. All of these groups were highly critical of No Child Left Behind. However, the Green Party was the only group calling for repeal of the legislation. In the first edition of this book, I emphasized the disarray existing among the differing factions of the “left” in the United States. However, in the 2000 Presidential election the left rallied around Green Party candidate Ralph Nader. A longtime consumer advocate, Nader was the first U.S. Presidential candidate to focus on the problems associated with a consumerist ideology. Nader’s educational concern was with the impact of consumerist ideology on children and teenagers and the resulting undermining of democratic activism. In the 2004 election, Nader launched his own presidential campaign, running as an independent with vice presidential candidate Peter Miguel Camejo. Camejo is a financier, political activist, and environmentalist. The Green Party nominated David Cobb for President and Pat LaMarche for Vice President.
